Strum man charged for allegedly trying to set up sex with 15-year-old boy

Barron County (WQOW) – A Strum man could spend more than 60 years in prison after police say he tried to set up sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Joseph Matz, 39, is charged in Barron County with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted sexual assault of a child under 16-years-of-age, exposing a child to harmful material and operating a motor vehicle while revoked.

According to the criminal complaint, Matz exchanged messages with an undercover officer he thought was a young boy via text message and the Grindr app. Grindr bills itself as the world’s No. 1 social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people to connect.

Matz was arrested at Moon Lake Park in Rice Lake with condoms and lubrication. Police said when asked if he knew why he was arrested, Matz said, ‘yeah, I shouldn’t have been here. I shouldn’t have even thought about it.’

Matz told police he wasn’t going to go through with it because he knew better and that 15 minutes before he got to the park he thought about turning around.

Monday, a judge ordered a $1,000 cash bond. Matz is due back in court August 29.